NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Christoph Willibald Gluck

Christoph Willibald (von) Gluck (July 2, 1714 – November 15, 1787) was a German composer, one of the most important opera composers and first reformer of the Classical music era, particularly remembered for Orfeo ed Euridice. He is also remembered as the music teacher of Marie Antoinette who as Queen of France promoted Gluck and was his patron. Some regard him as the father of the Rococo and Classical age of music---at least in Opera. Gluck's operatic reforms, eliminating all that was undramatic, were a turning point in the history of music. Look up GlÃ¼ck in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Download high resolution version (563x700, 75 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (563x700, 75 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Christophe Gabriel Allegrain, sculptor by Duplessis, 1774 (Louvre Museum) Joseph-Siffred Duplessis (Carpentras, near Avignon, 22 September 1725 â€“ Versailles, 1 April 1802) was a French painter, known for the clarity and immediacy of his portraits. ... Kunsthistorisches Museum at Maria-Theresien-Platz, Vienna. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Battle of Gangut, by Maurice Baquoi, 1724-27. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... For other uses, see Opera (disambiguation). ... The Classical period in Western music occurred from about 1730 through 1820, despite considerable overlap at both ends with preceding and following periods, as is true for all musical eras. ... Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ...

Early years

Gluck was born in Erasbach (now a district of Berching, Bavaria) the first of nine children. His father came from a long line of foresters; nothing is known about Gluck's mother, neither her ancestry nor her maiden name.^{[citation needed]} In 1717 the family moved to Bohemia, where the father became head forester in the service of Prince Philipp Hyazinth von Lobkowitz in 1727. Little is known about Gluck's early years or his education. Gluck later wrote: "My father was a head forester in [Eisenberg] in Bohemia and he had brought me up to follow in his footsteps. At that time music was all the rage. Unfortunately, inflamed with a passion for this art, I soon made astounding progress and was able to play several instruments. My whole being became obsessed with music and I left all thoughts of a forester's life behind." If Gluck's own account is to be believed, he ran away from home. "One fine day, with only a few groschen in my pocket, I secretly left my parents' house and wandered [...] in a roundabout way towards Vienna. I earned my food and lodging with my singing. On Sundays and holidays I would play in the village churches." Gluck's memories of his youth are somewhat mistaken. The first city he visited was not Vienna, but Prague, where in 1731 he studied logic and mathematics. However, it is not known whether he finished a degree. He was reconciled with his father, whose opposition to his son's musical vocation had driven him from home. Gluck probably settled in Vienna before 1736. From Vienna he travelled to Italy, probably arriving in Milan in 1737. Berching is a historical town with a fully preserved town wall and low streamlet. ... Berching is a town in the district of Neumarkt in Bavaria, Germany. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Groschen (Latin: , German: , Italian: , Czech: , Polish: , Hungarian: , Romanian: ) was the (sometimes colloquial) name for a coin used in various German-speaking states as well as some non-German-speaking countries of Central Europe (Bohemia, Poland), The Romanian Principalities. ... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ...

Italy

He soon began to follow his true vocation, finding a place in the Milanese orchestra, where he got to know the inner workings of the opera house. He may have been given lessons in composition by Giovanni Battista Sammartini and his works were soon enjoying successes on the Italian operatic stage. His first opera Artaserse was performed on 26 December 1741, when Gluck was 27 years old. This and the following works Gluck composed were conventional examples of opera seria. Giovanni Battista Sammartini (ca. ... // Events April 10 - Austrian army attack troops of Frederick the Great at Mollwitz August 10 - Raja of Travancore defeats Dutch East India Company naval expedition at Battle of Colachel December 19 - Vitus Bering dies in his expedition east of Siberia December 25 - Anders Celsius develops his own thermometer scale Celsius... A caricature of a performance of Handels Flavio, featuring three of the most well-known opera seria singers of their day: Senesino on the left, diva Francesca Cuzzoni in the centre, and art-loving castrato Gaetano Berenstadt on the right. ...

Travels

Gluck embarked on further journeys through Europe. In London, La Caduta de' Giganti was performed on 7 January, 1746, followed by Artamene on March 4. Neither opera had much success. In the same year Gluck published six trio sonatas, which had probably been written in Italy. Gluck joined a travelling opera company led by Pietro Mingotti. Such companies would visit towns without a permanent opera house. The first of Gluck's operas known to have been played by Mingotti's troupe was performed at a double wedding for the ruling house of Saxony in Dresden on 29 June 1747. For the birthday of Maria Theresa the company staged La Semiramide riconosciuta (14 May, 1748). The following year La contesa de' numi (9 April, 1749) appeared at the royal court in Copenhagen. On September 15, 1750, Gluck married the 18-year old Maria Anna Bergin in the church of Saint Ulrich in Vienna. Gluck was twice the age of his bride. She was the well-off daughter of a Viennese businessman and brought a lot of money with her dowry, enabling Gluck to become economically independent. // Events Catharine de Ricci (born 1522) canonized. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DED Capital Dresden Minister-President Georg Milbradt (CDU) Governing parties CDU / SPD Votes in Bundesrat 4 (from 69) Basic statistics Area 18,416 kmÂ² (7,110 sq mi) Population 4,252,000 (11/2006)[1] - Density 231 /km... For other uses, see Dresden (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Maria Theresa of Austria (1816-1867). ... Year 1748 (MDCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events While in debtors prison, John Cleland writes Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure). ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ...

Vienna

Gluck finally settled in Vienna where he became Kapellmeister. He wrote Le Cinesi for a festival in 1754 and La Danza for the birthday of the future Emperor Leopold II the following year. After his opera Antigono was performed in Rome in February, 1756, Gluck was made a Knight of the Golden Spur by Pope Benedict XIV. From that time on, Gluck used the title "Ritter von Gluck" or "Chevalier de Gluck". A Kapellmeister is nowadays the director or conductor of an orchestra or choir. ... Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II Leopold II (May 5, 1747 - March 1, 1792) was a Holy Roman Emperor (1790 - 1792) and grand-duke of Tuscany. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... The Order of the Golden Militia / Order of the Golder Spur is a Papal order of knighthood conferred upon those who have rendered distinguished service in propagating the Catholic Faith, or who have contributed to the glory of the Church, either by feat of arms, writings, or other illustrious acts. ... Benedict XIV, born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini (Bologna, March 31, 1675 â€“ May 3, 1758 in Rome), was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758. ...

Gluck turned his back on Italian opera seria and began to write opéra comiques. In 1761, Gluck produced the groundbreaking ballet Don Juan in collaboration with the choreographer Gasparo Angiolini. The climax of Gluck's opéra comique writing was La rencontre imprévue of 1764. By that time, Gluck was already engaged in his operatic reforms. A caricature of a performance of Handels Flavio, featuring three of the most well-known opera seria singers of their day: Senesino on the left, diva Francesca Cuzzoni in the centre, and art-loving castrato Gaetano Berenstadt on the right. ... OpÃ©ra comique is a French style of opera that is a partial counterpart to the Italian opera buffa. ... Gasparo Angiolini (from his real name, Domenico Maria Angiolo Gasparini) (born 9 February 1731 in Florence, Italy, died 6 February 1803 in Milan), was an Italian dancer and choreographer, and composer. ... OpÃ©ra comique is a French style of opera that is a partial counterpart to the Italian opera buffa. ... La rencontre imprÃ©vue (The Unexpected Encounter), also known as Les pÃ¨lerins de la Mecque (The Pilgrims to Mecca) is an opÃ©ra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck, first performed at the Burgtheater, Vienna on January 7, 1764. ...

Operatic reforms

Gluck had long pondered the fundamental problem of form and content in opera. He thought both of the main Italian operatic genres — opera buffa and opera seria — had strayed too far from what opera should really be. They seemed unnatural, the singing in opera seria was devoted to superficial effects, the content was uninteresting and fossilised. Opera buffa had long lost its original freshness, its jokes were threadbare, the repetition of the same characters made them seem no more than stereotypes. In opera seria too, the singers were effectively absolute masters of the stage and the music, decorating the vocal lines so floridly that audiences could no longer recognise the original melody. Gluck wanted to return opera to its origins, focusing on human drama and passions, and making words and music of equal importance. Opera buffa (a form of comic opera), also known as Commedia in musica or Commedia per musica, is a genre of opera. ... A caricature of a performance of Handels Flavio, featuring three of the most well-known opera seria singers of their day: Senesino on the left, diva Francesca Cuzzoni in the centre, and art-loving castrato Gaetano Berenstadt on the right. ...

In Vienna, Gluck met likeminded figures in the operatic world: Count Giacomo Durazzo, the head of the court theatre, who was a passionate admirer of French stage music; the librettist Ranieri de' Calzabigi, who wanted to attack the dominance of Metastasian opera seria; the innovative choreographer Gasparo Angiolini; and the London-trained castrato Gaetano Guadagni. The first result of the new thinking was Gluck's reformist ballet Don Juan, but a more important work was soon to follow. On 5 October 1762, Orfeo ed Euridice was given its first performance, with music by Gluck to words by Calzabigi. The dances were arranged by Angiolini and the title role was taken by Guadagni. Orfeo showed the beginnings of Gluck's reforms and the opera has never left the standard repertory. Gluck's idea was to make the drama of the work more important than the star singers who performed it, and to do away with dry recitative which broke up the action. The more flowing and dramatic style which resulted has been seen as a precursor to the music dramas of Richard Wagner. Gluck and Calzabigi followed Orfeo with Alceste (1767) and Paride ed Elena (1770), pushing their innovations even further. Calzabigi wrote a preface to Alceste, which Gluck signed, setting out the principles of their reforms. Count Giacomo Durazzo (1717-1794) was an Italian diplomat and man of the theatre. ... Ranieri de Calzabigi (1714-1795) was an Italian poet and librettist, most famous for his collaboration with the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck on his reform operas. ... Pietro Trapassi (January 13, 1698 - April 12, 1782), Italian poet, is better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio. ... A caricature of a performance of Handels Flavio, featuring three of the most well-known opera seria singers of their day: Senesino on the left, diva Francesca Cuzzoni in the centre, and art-loving castrato Gaetano Berenstadt on the right. ... Gasparo Angiolini (from his real name, Domenico Maria Angiolo Gasparini) (born 9 February 1731 in Florence, Italy, died 6 February 1803 in Milan), was an Italian dancer and choreographer, and composer. ... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity. ... Gaetano Guadagni c1780 Gaetano Guadagni (born Lodi or Vincenza 11 October 1729, died Padua 11 December 1792) was an Italian alto (though later soprano) castrato singer, most famous for singing the role of Orpheus at the premiere of Glucks opera Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762. ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 â€“ 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Paride ed Elena (Paris and Helen) is an opera by Gluck, the third of his Italian reformist works, following Orfeo ed Euridice and Alceste. ... For the village in Queensland, see 1770, Queensland. ...

Paris

Gluck now began to spread his ideas to France. Under the patronage of his former music pupil, Marie Antoinette, who had married the future French king Louis XVI in 1770, Gluck signed a contract for six stage works with the management of the Paris Opéra. He began with Iphigénie en Aulide (19 April 1774). The premiere sparked a huge controversy, almost a war, such as had not been seen in the city since the Querelle des Bouffons. Gluck's opponents brought the leading Italian composer, Niccolò Piccinni, to Paris to demonstrate the superiority of Neapolitan opera and the "whole town" engaged in an argument between "Gluckists" and "Piccinnists". The composers themselves took no part in the polemics, but when Piccinni was asked to set the libretto to Roland, on which Gluck was also known to be working, Gluck destroyed everything he had written for that opera up to that point. Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ... For the village in Queensland, see 1770, Queensland. ... The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia by Tiepolo IphigÃ©nie en Aulide (Iphigeneia in Aulis) is an opera by Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. ... The War of the Buffoons (French: Querelle des Bouffons) was the name given to a battle of musical philosophies in Europe during the 1750s. ... Niccolo Piccinni (January 16, 1728 - May 7, 1800) was an Italian composer of classical music. ... For other uses, see Naples (disambiguation). ... Roland is an opera with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault first performed at Versailles on January 8, 1685. ...

On 2 August 1774 the French version of Orfeo ed Euridice was performed, with the title role transposed from the castrato to the tenor voice. This time Gluck's work was better received by the Parisian public. In the same year Gluck returned to Vienna where he was appointed composer to the imperial court. Over the next few years the now internationally famous composer would travel back and forth between Paris and Vienna. On 23 April 1776, the French version of Alceste was given. Chesma Column in Tsarskoe Selo, commemorating the end of the Russo-Turkish War. ... Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ...

Gluck also wrote Armide (1777), Iphigénie en Tauride (1779) and Echo et Narcisse for Paris. During the rehearsals for Echo et Narcisse , Gluck suffered his first stroke. Since the opera itself was a complete failure, Gluck decided to return to Vienna. For other works by the same name, see Armide. ... IphigÃ©nie en Tauride (Iphigeneia in Tauris) is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. ... Echo et Narcisse (Echo and Narcissus) was the last original opera written by Christoph Willibald GlÃ¼ck, his sixth for the French stage. ... Echo et Narcisse (Echo and Narcissus) was the last original opera written by Christoph Willibald GlÃ¼ck, his sixth for the French stage. ...

His musical heir in Paris was the Italian-Austrian composer Antonio Salieri, who had made friends with Gluck when he arrived in Vienna in 1767. Gluck brought Salieri to Paris with him and bequeathed him the libretto for Les danaides. The opera was announced as a collaboration between the two composers; however, after the overwhelming success of its premiere on 26 April 1784, Gluck revealed to the prestigious Journal de Paris that the work was wholly Salieri's. Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (August 18, 1750 â€“ May 7, 1825), was an Italian composer and conductor. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Last years

In Vienna Gluck wrote a few more minor works but he generally lived in retirement. In 1781 he brought out a German version of Iphigénie en Tauride and other operas of his enjoyed great popularity in Vienna. IphigÃ©nie en Tauride (Iphigeneia in Tauris) is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. ...

On 15 November 1787, in Vienna, Gluck suffered another stroke and died a few days later. At a formal commemoration on 8 April 1788 his friend and pupil Salieri conducted Gluck's De profundis and a requiem by the Italian composer Jommelli was given. Like many other prominent musicians and painters, Gluck was buried in the Matzleinsdorfer Friedhof. When this cemetery was turned into a park in 1923, Gluck's remains were transferred to a tomb in the Vienna Zentralfriedhof. Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... De profundis (literally from the depths) are the first two words of the Latin translation of psalm 129 (130), one of the seven Penitential Psalms (psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143): De profundis clamavi ad te Domine (From the depths, I cried to you, Lord!) De profundis... The Requiem (from the Latin requiÃ©s, rest) or Requiem Mass (informally, the funeral Mass), also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in... NiccolÃ² Jommelli NiccolÃ² Jommelli (September 10, 1714 â€“ August 25, 1774) was an Italian composer. ... Exterior of the Dr. Karl Lueger-GedÃ¤chtniskirche, Zentralfriedhof, Vienna. ...

Gluck's musical legacy was around 35 complete operas, together with numerous ballets and instrumental works. His reforms influenced Mozart, particularly his opera Idomeneo (1781). Gluck left behind a flourishing school of disciples in Paris, who would dominate the French stage throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. As well as Salieri, they included Sacchini, Cherubini, Méhul and Spontini. Gluck's greatest French admirer would be Hector Berlioz, whose epic Les Troyens may be seen as the culmination of the Gluckian tradition. Though Gluck wrote no operas in German, his example influenced the German school of opera, particularly Weber and Wagner, whose concept of music drama was not so far removed from Gluck's own. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... Idomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante (Italian: Idomeneo, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante; usually referred to simply as Idomeneo, K. 366) is an Italian opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Antonio Sacchini (Born Florence, 14 June 1730 â€“ died Paris, 6 October 1786) was an Italian opera composer. ... Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini (September 14, 1760 – March 15, 1842) was an Italian composer. ... Etienne Henri (or Nicolas) MÃ©hul (June 24, 1763 - October 18, 1817) was a French composer. ... Gaspare Spontini (14 November 1774 – 24 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor. ... Painting of Berlioz by Gustave Courbet, 1850. ... Cover of the score of La prise de Troie, the first two acts of Les Troyens. ... Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst, Freiherr von Weber (November 18, 1786 in Eutin, Holstein â€“ June 5, 1826 in London, England) was a German composer, conductor, pianist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 â€“ 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ...

Stage Works

For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... Crema (Italian, cream) is a key component in the flavor of espresso with the appearance of a golden foam on the surface of the coffee. ... For other uses, see Turin (disambiguation). ... Haymarket Theatre, ca. ... Pillnitz Pillnitz is a city quarter of Dresden, Germany. ... Oche redirects here; in darts the oche is the line from which players must throw. ... Location of Charlottenburg in Berlin Charlottenburg palace Charlottenburg is an area of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Naples (disambiguation). ... La fausse esclave {The False Slave) is an opÃ©ra comique in one act by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Le cadi dupÃ© {The Duped Qadi, or The Duped Judge} is an opÃ©ra comique in one act by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... La rencontre imprÃ©vue (The Unexpected Encounter), also known as Les pÃ¨lerins de la Mecque (The Pilgrims to Mecca) is an opÃ©ra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck, first performed at the Burgtheater, Vienna on January 7, 1764. ... Telemaco, ossia Lisola di Circe (Telemachus, or Circes Island) is an operatic dramma per musica in two acts by Gluck. ... Tommaso Traetta (1727 - April 6, 1779) was an Italian composer. ... Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Paride ed Elena (Paris and Helen) is an opera by Gluck, the third of his Italian reformist works, following Orfeo ed Euridice and Alceste. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia by Tiepolo IphigÃ©nie en Aulide (Iphigeneia in Aulis) is an opera by Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. ... For other works by the same name, see Armide. ... IphigÃ©nie en Tauride (Iphigeneia in Tauris) is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. ... Echo et Narcisse (Echo and Narcissus) was the last original opera written by Christoph Willibald GlÃ¼ck, his sixth for the French stage. ...

Sources

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia (or encyclopedic dictionary) of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. ... Stanley Sadie CBE (October 30, 1930-March 21, 2005) was a British musicologist, music critic, and editor. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ...

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since April 2007 | Classical era composers | German opera composers | German composers | People from Bavaria | Austrians of Czech descent | Burials at the Zentralfriedhof | Walhalla enshrinees | 1714 births | 1787 deaths This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Werner Icking Music Archive, often abbreviated WIMA, is a web archive of public domain sheet music. ... The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores, based on the wiki principle. ...

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